Sculptor Tomohiro Inaba crafts iron and stainless steel pieces that leave space for the viewer’s imagination. His path began with childhood clay play, leading to sculptural studies in high school, a doctorate in metalwork, and the launch of his professional career in 2011. While his early work focused on technical skill, he found that fully finished forms created distance with the audience. This is what prompted a shift toward sculptures that function through ongoing engagement.
His approach centers on three ideas: temporality, the potential of the blank, and the viewer's imagination. By leaving his animal sculptures intentionally incomplete, he uses "nothingness" as a tool to invite viewers into the narrative. Inspired by excavated fragments of ancient pottery, fossils, and the transformation sequences of childhood animated films, his technique relies on deliberate gaps to trigger thought.
Below, you'll find a selection of our favorite artworks. Scroll down and see which one sparks your imagination the most.
